25 Jan 2015

The Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, Rome

A very early morning train journey into Rome's Termini Station on our way back to the airport last October gave me time to take a walk from Piazza dei Cinquecento across to Piazza della Repubblica and go into the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli. I've passed the building many times, but only vaguely remember going inside once before.

This church was built on the ruins of the Baths of the Emperor Diocletian with a complex of buildings (built AD 298) that covered many hectares of land with luxurious baths, exercise rooms, halls and libraries surrounded by gardens. It fell into disrepair when invaders destroyed the aqueducts that fed the Baths in the sixth century. It is now one of the museums in the city that houses the national collection of Roman antiquities.

Pope Pius IV commissioned Michelangelo, then 86, to convert the grand hall of the Baths into a church. Early in the 20th century the frontage at the entrance was removed to reveal the unadorned wall of the caldarium (hot room) of the Baths. The atrium in the centre of the church was once the tepidarium (warm room).

A huge vestibule leads into the atrium with transepts and chapels either side.
Eight of the pink granite pillars came from the Roman Baths.

North transept

South transept

High altar

The Meridian of Santa Maria degli Angeli. The meridian is a type of sundial. The bronze line set in yellow white marble runs diagonally across the floor of the south transept for 45 m. and finishes in the left part of the choir and was used to regulate the time for Romans until 1846. In 1702 the astronomer and mathematician Francesco Bianchini built this meridian line at the request of Pope Clement XI who wanted to check the accuracy of the Gregorian calendar and exactly work out the moveable date of Easter. Santa Maria degli Angeli was chosen because of the south orientation of the building, the stability when using sensitive instruments to make calculations and the vast scale and height of the walls which allowed the precise measure of the sun's progress through the year. In addition, holes were constructed in the ceiling to mark the passage of the stars. The line was restored in 2002 and is still operational today.

On the subject of time, a cannon is fired each day at noon on the Janiculum Hill.

Also in the south transept is a model of another device to measure time which you can read about below.

It was good to take time out in a city that I love, even for half an hour or so, in a building which has fascinating elements of the religious, the artistic, the scientific and, of course, the historic under one roof. People were coming in for several reasons; to gaze at the architecture and artistic features, to light a candle and say a prayer. There was soft taped music playing Gregorian chant- which was pleasing to listen to and a reminder that there was a Carthusian monastery in Michelangelo's day next to the site. I could have gone into the cloisters that remain.

However, I needed to go back into the hustle and bustle of a city beginning a new day where workers were walking purposefully to their offices, students going to their lectures, early morning tourists and travellers were on the move in the nearby bus and railway station.

Opposite Santa Maria degli Angeli are the 19th century buildings and colonnades in the Piazza della Repubblica
with the Fontana delle Niadi in the middle. The buildings follow the line of the Baths of Dioclesian 's benched portico.

The area is a busy one and many visitors probably pass through to more popular tourist sites using buses or the Metro, but I've always walked though the area in the early morning to get to places in the historic centre.

It's a manageable walk along Via Nazionale to Palazzo Venezia and many of the well known tourist attractions. Then I would take short cuts to the Piazza Navona Quarter or the embankment by the River Tiber. Buses and the Metro are useful and sometimes necessary to get across the city, but you notice more when walking, of course.

Today it's cold and dry and the snow has gradually melted leaving some icy patches on the road and pavements so no walking out for me! Later on I shall join others in recording the birds in our garden as part of the RSPB Birdwatch. Our pet cat is sadly missed after his sudden and traumatic last hours. I was expecting more birds and different varieties to venture into our garden, but the population and species seem to stay the same; blackbirds and robins except for what I think is a little wren who lurks in the undercover of the hedge. Bigger birds are quite entertaining as they sit in the surrounding neighbourhood trees before flying off.

40 comments:

There's so much history there, a beautiful building and fantastic artwork. Hope you had more feathered visitors than I did, we usually have a good variety but they always seem to stay away when I'm counting them.

your photos always amaze me and in the first few photos i was thinking about how in the world they built all this way back then.. when i got to the last photo with that tiny adorable little white car sitting there, i started to wonder what the chariot drivers would think if they could see that car... amazing architecture as always

Lovely pictures! I love to know about the history of the church! I have never heard about it before, so thank you for sharing! I would like to see the Meridian of Santa Maria degli Angeli! It must be magical! This trip is a History lesson! I also love bird watching very much here!

There is a pendulum in one of the museums I go to explaining about time,though for the life of me I can't remember which one it is now or whether it was on the west coast or east coast. The building is beyond amazing Linda. Absolutely glorious. Thank you for sharing it with so much history. Fascinating indeed!

Such wonderful photos, I am like you I enjoy visiting churches and often stare in wonder and amazement at the work involved to produce such beauty.The architecture is just breathtaking, and no matter how many visits you will always find somthing new to see.

Have you every been to Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire (National Trust)

I'm never satisfied with my photos. It always depends on the light what comes out, but I'm glad I'm able to record what I see. I haven't been to Fountains Abbey as we haven't had time to explore north Yorkshire except for a few places on the coast.

Funnily enough, as I opened your post I had Schubert's Ave Maria playing in the background, how very fitting, and how well the two complimented each other. I found this fascinating, gosh....what history!I can imagine how such a place would appeal to so many different types of people, and how lovely to have the Gregorian chany playing....Oh....how beautiful and ethereal that white painting is.....amazing!Yes....it's a fact that the birds go missing as soon as the counting begins.Ahhhh hugs....your beautiful Gino will always live in your heart.xxx

Music is powerful in creating an atmosphere. I felt it did so on my visit to the church and it also settled me before the next stage of the journey back to England. I do miss Gino a lot so thanks for the hugs.

What a wonderful building - so beautiful and with much of interest too. We did the bird count and of course half of the birds we'd been seeing earlier in the week like the finches and tits didn't appear. We put it down to the milder weather as they all appear when it is colder to feed up to get them through the cold nights. Thank you for your kind comments over on my blog, Linda and have a lovely week:)

The contrast between the activity of the birds when we had the snow (very quiet) and when it had melted was interesting. I'm leaving plenty of seeds out. According to the weather forecast it's going to get very cold by the end of the week.

Oh Linda what a lovely post. This trip would certainly have ticked all the boxes for me too. I love Rome, I love Italy and never pass up an opportunity to visit the many churches, cathedrals, museums and galleries whilst there. Thankyou for this. P x

Beautiful building outside and esp. inside. I loved the last two angels esp. what looked to be a metal one. Fascinating info on time and the background of the place. It's great you were able to get out and walk.

We just had a big snow storm Sunday and yesterday. It is now snowing again. I am home from school. We have already used up our snow days and are on #7 ( we only get 5 that we don't have to make up). I have a small rental car instead of my SUV (it's in shop), so I'm not venturing out much as I have to take my husband's big truck. Trying to stay warm.

Hello Beth. Glad to hear from you. The bronze angel sculpture by Ernesto Lamagna is modern (2000), but he copied Michelangelo's methods of working with the metal to produce the patina. The beautiful angel holy water stoup is attributed to being the work of a pupil of Bernini. We've heard that you're suffering from the harsh weather. You'll feel the pressure of making up the time when you return to normal and work. Do take care especially on the roads when you get out again.

A beautiful set of photos, Linda, and a blue Italian sky is just the thing to look at in these cold, dark winter days! The white Smart car taking centre stage makes me smile. I chose the wrong hour for my bird watch, the garden is usually full of visitors. I put out halved apples and other goodies but very few birds put in an appearance, jus a few sparrows and blackbirds, and my busy robin, of course. Keep warm.

Thank you Rosemary. We're 'snowed in' yet again. Two blackbirds, male and female, are regulars and are welcoming the extra seed I've put out. I haven't seen the robin that usually comes into the garden. All quiet after the snowstorms, but the snow has frozen.

About Me

When we retired my husband and I moved to Yorkshire. We also spend time in the Italian village where my husband grew up. Writing about our life and recording it through photography has become an interesting leisure activity.